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As a homeowner, how do you know whether your home is energy efficient or not? You could guess based on your own understanding of energy efficiency, but it’s much more effective to evaluate the energy efficiency of a home using the Home Energy Rating System (HERS®). To earn a HERS index score, a home must comply with many mandatory standards, including components like window sealing, wall sealants, and insulation. Let’s take a closer look at the HERS® Index, and why it’s so important.
Based on a scale of 0 to 150, the HERS® Index measures a home’s energy efficiency, with 0 being a net-zero energy home that generates as much energy as it consumes. On the other end of the scale, 150 indicates a home built to the minimum standards specified by the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). A professional energy auditor determines the HERS® Index Score of a house after physically inspecting the house and conducting a detailed analysis of its energy consumption. Newly constructed homes are expected to score 100 on the HERS® Index, so any score lower than that indicates higher energy efficiency than a standard new home. A home that scores 70 would be 30 % more energy efficient than a standard new home, while a home with a score of 130 would be 30% less energy efficient.
A home’s HERS® Score is calculated by a certified inspector from the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Conducting an energy audit on your home, the inspector compares the data against a ‘reference home’, a designed model home. This model home will be the same size and shape as your home, to keep the score relative to the size, shape, and type of house in which you live. The Energy Rating includes variables like the exterior walls, the floors over unconditioned spaces, ceilings and roofs, attics, foundations and crawlspaces, windows, doors, vents, and ductwork, and HVAC systems, water heating systems and the thermostat.
Determining your home’s score can give you a lot of information about your house. You can learn how efficiently it’s operating, and how you can save money on energy costs by making minor modifications. If you’re planning to sell your home, working towards a better HERS® Index Score can increase its value, and if you’re buying a home, looking at the HERS® Score can help you determine where you might want to make some changes to increase its efficiency.
Talk to Landmark customers and you’ll hear the same thing, over and over. Landmark Fine Homes are built to be both beautiful and energy efficient, and the proof is in the low energy costs for residents of Landmark communities. When you’re ready to build your dream home, Landmark Fine Homes has beautiful new and custom-built homes in a variety of sizes and floorplans, just waiting to become yours. Our homes are, not only energy efficient, but also built with the utmost attention to detail; some are located in active adult communities where you’ll find plenty to do. Make your next house the home of your dreams by contacting Landmark Fine Homes today!\
Winter is right around the corner as temperatures continue to drop! Now is the time to take care of a few maintenance issues around your home to make sure you are ready!
What are other things you do around your house as the temperatures drop?
When the thermostat outside is over 90 degrees, most garden plants, lawns, flowers, and veggies can tend to shut down. What is a homeowner to do? Here are some tips we have found that help make our yards in Carrington Lakes, Valencia, The Ranches, and Belleau Wood look their best!
After you have worked in the yard don't forget to take care of yourself! Find a swimming pool and relax. I can tell you our pools at Valencia and Carrington Lakes continue to be a popular place no matter how hot it gets!
Have you ever walked into someone’s home or business and wondered what were they thinking when they decorated their bookshelves? A well-decorated shelf is like the perfect icing on the perfect cake. These are some things we like to consider when decorating our bookshelves:
There is very little to gain by waiting. A 5% increase in the cost of your new home and a half-point increase in your mortgage rate will increase your monthly mortgage payment 11.5%. This will sadly force some to buy less than their family had wanted.
Why wait for a lower rate? Interest rates are at historic lows. As a borrower it is important to remember that rates are unpredictable and influended by the global economy. One major event can cause rates to increase overnight.
There is a lot more to lose than there is to gain! Mortgage fees are increasing. Construction costs are escalating every month. There is that uncertainty and risk with interest rates that no one can predict with certainty.
The longer you wait to purchase a new home, the greater the chance you won't be able to finance what your family expected.
So the question is, "Why are you waiting to buy a new home?"
The best advice we can give when choosing your exterior home surfaces and colors is to step out of the “plain” box and into the “pizzazz” box! Landmark encourages using various textures on the exterior of your home. Our favorite products are brick, stone, cedar, siding, iron, copper and stucco.
The following homeowner’s did an excellent job of choosing their homes exterior colors and textures in the Norman and Edmond area. Who wouldn’t want to live in one of these Landmark Fine Homes!
Our second piece of advice is to drive around and take pictures of what you like. Look at magazines and websites. You don’t have to create a masterpiece from scratch when homebuilding. Pull together the ideas other’s have used and make it your own.
Most of all, keep it fun when choosing your exterior products! Don’t stress out. Building your dream home should be one of the most exciting times in your life! Landmark Fine Homes has an excellent design team and we love helping make your home have pizzazz!